


In The Beginning

by pookiestheone



Series: Early Days [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Homophobia, M/M, Physical Abuse, sorry no smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 14:19:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17204966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pookiestheone/pseuds/pookiestheone
Summary: I told you it was the beginning.   Did anything happen that night?  Maybe, maybe not, but there were many nights to follow.Yes, I couldn't pass up the "finger lickin' good" line





	In The Beginning

Billy glanced at his alarm clock as he lay sprawled out on his bed; it was almost two but he was still wide awake.

The late July heat wave in Hawkins was taking its toll; it had been almost two weeks with no break in sight. It was his kind of weather, California weather, but at least in California they had air conditioning and the ocean. Here his father hadn't even bought one of those window ones. Now, although he was still too stubborn to admit he had been wrong, he couldn't find one, so everyone suffered.

When it came to swimming, Hawkins one and only community pool was closed; something about waiting for parts according to the notice that had been posted on the gate all summer. He had asked Tommy about the quarry, but apparently the walls were too unstable and he didn't fancy a fifty foot plunge into god-knew-what.

So he sweated. All the time.

He wore nothing but cutoffs, abandoning any shirt by mid-morning. Of course he made sure they were short, bunching up around his crotch and showing the bottom of his ass cheeks when he bent over as he did the gardening and maintenance jobs he had picked up, insuring that the bored lady of more than one house had to fan herself even faster as she sat in the shade of the patio watching him. It brought him a straying hand that he laughingly dodged, large cooling glasses of lemonade and, not so surprisingly, equally large tips.

He rolled over onto his stomach, spreading his legs, hoping to catch some air from the tiny fan propped on his vanity. Tomorrow was Saturday and he had no jobs lined up, despite that meaning there was no money either at least he could sleep in. If he ever got to sleep.

About five o'clock the sound of two neighbourhood cats yowling outside his window shook him awake. The room was still like an oven so he got up and pulled on his cutoffs, not bothering with underwear as usual. He made his way quietly down the hall to the backyard where he opened one of their treacherous lounges and set it under the only tree. There was even a slight breeze for once. The sound of the leaves lulled him as he closed his eyes.

"Billy?"

He started and looked up to find Max standing beside him, silhouetted by the dawn sky. Since the fight with Steve they had an uneasy truce. He didn't yell at her, or at least not very often, and she didn't threaten to sink a nail bat into his crotch. It was more than that, but that's what he had boiled it down to.

"Here." She reached out a mug. "Coffee."

The heat might be unbearable, but Billy still needed his coffee in the morning.

"Uh … thanks." He took the mug and sipped cautiously as she pulled up a lawn chair beside him. "So what's this all about?"

"It's a mug of coffee, Billy. Not the end of the world."

"Yeah, right. Since when do you get me coffee."

"God, you're an asshole. Shut up and drink it."

Billy nodded. _She wants something._

They sat in silence while Billy drank.

"What are you up to today?" she finally asked quietly,

"Nothing. Go for a drive, find Tommy, and stay out of Neil's way. At least the car's air conditioned."

"Can you drop me somewhere when you go out?"

 _And there it is_. He usually only took her places he had to, that Neil told him to, and she knew that.

"Can't get a ride with anyone else?"

"All right, never mind." She stood up and started to walk away.

"I didn't say no. I just asked if there wasn't someone else."

She turned back, hands on hips, looking like she was going to slap him.

"I haven't asked. I just thought if you were …"

"OK."

"What?"

"I said OK. When and where."

"Well, I …uh."

Billy grinned at her confusion.

"You weren't expecting me to say yes."

"Yeah."

"Then why ask?"

"Doesn't hurt to try," she shrugged. "About ten. Steve's place."

"Why are you going there?"

"Because he asked us to come for the day. And he has a pool."

"Us?"

"The guys and me."

"Oh, your creepy friends."

"They're not creepy." She paused and looked at him. "You didn't think I meant you, did you."

"What? No. Me at Harrington's? Not going to happen."

Still, he felt a twinge of jealousy as she left. The idea of spending a day in and out of a pool never sounded better. While what he had with Steve extended beyond a truce, he was pretty sure he never would have invited him.

They weren't friends, not by any stretch of the imagination, but maybe they were friendly sometimes. He wasn't sure when things had changed, when he had backed off, stopped always pushing at him. It was probably after the fight and when he knew that he likely would have killed him if he hadn't been stopped. He had never lost control like that before and when he finally realised that the next day it scared him; it was something he didn't want to happen again. Still, he had never apologised for anything he had done, Steve didn't seem to care as long as it was ended, as if he had more important things to worry about.

He was still wary, but gradually over the spring he seemed to relax. A few times Billy had caught him openly staring at him, as if trying to figure something out. Near the end of the school year they were even sitting together in Chemistry which had brought a sneering comment from Tommy that he cut short with a warning look. Since Billy was good in Chemistry while Steve struggled, he even spent a couple of days at lunch helping him.

_Maybe that's as good as an apology anyway._

He drained the mug and set it on the grass.

_I'll go see a movie this afternoon. At least the theatre's got air._

* * *

Neil had been particularly unreasonable that morning, seeming to find fault with everything Billy said or did, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he and Max climbed into the car. He put the windows down and settled back against the seat, but jumped forward as soon as his bare skin hit the leather.

"Jesus!"

"Wear a shirt." She handed him a towel. "Here, use this. I want it back when we get to Steve's though."

"Why, you've got another one."

"I like two. One to dry, one to lie on."

"You're a strange kid," Billy remarked as they drove away.

"I'm strange? Anyway, can you stop at the store? Mom gave me money to get some Coke and chips."

"Really? Now I'm a delivery service too."

"Will you stop or not?"

"Yeah, fine."

"Why do you make things so hard?"

"What? We're talking, not fighting, and I'm taking you somewhere. What more do you want? Besides, I don't do easy. Got to keep 'em on their toes."

Max just shook her head and said nothing.

Billy pulled up in front of the 7-Eleven and Max hopped out on the run, coming back lugging a bag which she put on the floor of the back seat.

"Anywhere else?" he asked as she got in. "You got another errand for me?"

"Just take me to Steve's. You know where he lives, right?"

"Yeah, I mow lawns for some people on his street. Passed his car in the drive. "

He did a U-turn when they arrived, pulling up at the bottom of the driveway just as both Byers' cars had unloaded their passengers. The four boys milled around while Joyce talked to Jonathan and Nancy as they lifted a cooler from the LTD's trunk. Lucas looked over and waved tentatively before deciding it was better to keep his distance.

"Mrs. Byers here to keep an eye on all of you?"

"Don't know. Probably not." Max opened the door and stepped out. "You could always go ask her if you're nosey."

"Get your stuff, Max. I gotta go."

"All right, all right. Give me my towel."

"You really want it? It's all sweaty now."

"Yuck, never mind then."

He was waiting for her to shut the door when someone knocked on his window, making him jump.

"Fuckin' sh…" His head snapped around and he found himself face to face with Steve.

"Yeah?" he asked as he opened the window.

"Haven't seen you since school ended. You want a swim?"

"What?"

"You know, in the pool. You can swim, right?"

"No. I mean yes I can, but no I don't want to." He could sense everyone watching them. "Why are you asking me?"

"Thought you might like to cool down."

"Right. And they," he nodded toward the boys, "would love to have me here."

"Didn't say that."

"I've learned not to go where I'm not wanted. I might get a needle in the neck or almost lose my nuts."

"Tough lesson."

"Yeah, so I think I'll go."

"OK, but if you change your mind you can come back later, after everyone's gone."

"Sure."

As Billy sped away he glanced in his rear view mirror and saw Steve, still in the same spot, watching him. _What the fuck was that?_

He spent the rest of the morning up at the quarry where he met Tommy and a few other guys from school. They smoked and drank a few beers before they all headed into town to get something to eat, ending up at a fast food joint that had picnic tables tucked under some trees out of the sun. After an hour or so they broke up.

When he went home to get a shirt so he could get into the show the place was empty meaning that he didn't have to face Neil until later. The only movie showing in town was "Back To The Future", but he didn't care because it bought him almost two hours escape from the heat.

When he finally got back everyone was there. He knew Neil would be in the backyard barbequing like he had been every day; probably hamburgers or hot dogs. From the rear of the house he could just make out the sounds of Susan working in the kitchen. Max was sitting cross-legged on one of the living room chairs, a book propped in her lap.

"Have a good time?" he asked as he stripped off his shirt and threw himself onto the sofa.

She looked up, surprised that he had asked.

"Yeah, of course." She slipped a bookmark onto the page and closed the book. "Steve asked you to stay for a swim?"

"Uh-huh."

"You could have,"

"Nope."

"He said to remind you can still come by later." She thought for a few seconds. "When did you stop being a jerk to him?"

"Who said I have?"

"Jesus, Billy!" She opened her book again. "Anyway, you should go."

"Yeah, sure."

"Dinner, you two," Susan called down the hall from the kitchen.

Everything was outside on the picnic table which thankfully sat in the shade from the house. Billy took a seat and looked around. Neil had done steaks; he never cooked steaks. Or more correctly he had tortured steaks until they gave up their existence as beef. Baked potatoes in foil. _Well at least he can't ruin those. I hope_ Then there was the salad. He usually liked what Susan made, but this had corn in it and the idea of cold corn drenched in something creamy made him queasy.

He ate a couple of small of pieces of steak before giving up and he carefully pushed the corn to one side, hoping it wasn't obvious, so he could have some of the salad. He managed some of the potato but it wasn't cooked through. Suddenly Neil slammed his knife and fork down.

"Something wrong with the food?" he asked, glaring across the table at Billy.

"N...no sir. I'm just not very hungry."

"It's the heat, isn't it Billy," Susan put in, hoping to avoid the inevitable.

Looking around the table Neil saw that Susan and Max had also left most of their steaks and he knew it was his fault, but he chose to ignore that and concentrate on Billy.

"I wasted almost twenty-five bucks on good steak so you could just leave it because," his voice became whiny, "it's too hot."

"I guess so"

"What?"

"Yes sir."

"Well, isn't that too bad. Poor Billy's lost his appetite because it's too hot. What a pissy little wimp. Go put it in the fridge. You can have it for dinner tomorrow."

"Yes sir." Billy felt his heartbeat slow as walked inside to the kitchen. He didn't intend to eat it tomorrow either, but he would worry about that later. When he closed the door after putting the cling-wrapped steak in the fridge he turned to find Neil standing behind him. Before he could react he had him shoved up against the fridge door, forcing the handle painfully into his back, forearm across his throat.

"Now listen here, you little faggot." His voice was quiet, not much above a whisper, and that made it more menacing. It also meant he wouldn't be heard.

"I'm not a fag …"

He struggled to breathe as Neil pressed tighter.

"Of course you are. My boss caught you sucking his son's dick. That makes you a useless little faggot. You can pretend with all your whores, but we both know the truth. And the way you're dressed you look like that slut Daisy Duke." He poked at Billy's eye making him blink. "You're even wearing makeup." That was quickly followed by a sharp punch that glanced off his ribs and knocked what little air he still had out of him. Neil released him and he crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath.

"Being respectful also means being thankful for the food I put on your plate and that includes eating it." The toe of his shoe pushed forward into Billy's crotch, bringing a quiet grunt. "You got that."

"Neil, can't you find the Jell-O?" Susan's worried voice called through the screen.

"I'll be right out." He looked down at Billy. "Your mother would be so disappointed in you." He pushed him to one side so he could pull the dessert and Cool Whip from the fridge and left without another word.

Billy pulled his knees tight to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, burying his head. _No, she'd understand._ The sound of the screen door opening brought him unsteadily to his feet, wiping at his eyes.

"He forgot spoons," Max explained as she pulled open a drawer. "Take Steve up on his offer," she said before turning, spoons in hand.

"Why do you keep pushing me at Harrington?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm not pushing. It's just that Tommy and those guys are losers and you know it. Not all you friends in California were; Steve's like them."

"Max," Susan opened the door and stuck her head in, "the spoons before we have to drink the Jell-O."

"Coming." She headed to the door. "Do whatever you want, Billy."

Leaning back against the counter, he watched the second hand on the wall clock. He would never admit it, but he was lonely. Max wasn't far off the truth when it came to his friends in Hawkins, if he could call them that, but Steve remained an unknown; still a mystery despite whatever details he had managed to pump out of Tommy and anyone else he could find. What he got had served his purpose when he was hell bent on dethroning the King, but he always knew there was more. He wondered if Steve really could be like his friends in California, but he had inflicted so much damage he wasn't sure, even now when things had settled down between them, if he would ever find out.

Still, he had asked him to come for a swim.

Decision made, he half-ran from the kitchen, grabbing his shirt off the sofa in the living room on the way by. If the night turned out to be a disaster it wouldn't be his first.

Despite that, after he pulled into the Harrington's driveway he still sat in his car, windows down, staring straight ahead while he drummed his thumbs against the steering wheel. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ A stupid question because he knew that while it might be mostly the bad blood between them it ran deeper than that. He would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about doing things with Steve. Of course that was when he first got to Hawkins and before everything else, but that didn't mean he had forgotten no matter how far away and how impossible that seemed now. The funny thing was that no other guy even remotely interested him.

Suddenly the front door opened and Steve was standing there, hands on hips. He was wearing a powder blue polo over what Billy guessed were his trunks.

"I sure as hell can't bring the pool to you."

Billy chewed on his lip as he got out of the car and walked up to the door. Once inside he kicked his shoes to one side, enjoying the coolness of the house.

"You want a beer?"

"Sure."

He glanced around as he followed Steve. Unlike his own house there was no mistaking there was money here, but the furniture looked like it was never sat on it. If he didn't know better he would have thought that no one really lived there. The kitchen didn't do much to change his mind. A bowl of fruit sat in the middle of the table, symmetrically stacked as if it had been arranged deliberately expecting that no one would touch it.

"Uh, thanks for the invite."

"You helped me with Chem," he answered as if that explained everything.

_Yeah, but I also beat the shit out of you._

"Where's your suit? In the car?"

"Shit. I didn't bring one. Left in a hurry. Can I just swim in these?" he asked pointing to his cutoffs.

Steve glanced down then quickly back up, but he didn't miss the red welt that was the start of a bruise at the bottom of his ribcage. It made him wonder because he knew about Billy's father. Max had let it slip to Lucas who had told the others and Dustin, of course, had told him. The boys seemed to revel in the fact that "asshole Billy" was getting what he deserved. Steve didn't.

"Yeah, sure. Or your underwear." He grabbed a fresh six pack from the fridge and began walking toward what Billy thought looked like a sunroom. "Or nothing. Whatever."

Billy almost choked on his beer, but recovered in time so he didn't spit it out onto the floor.

"Yeah, your parents and neighbours would love that. Some stranger running around naked in the backyard."

"My parents aren't here and the neighbours can't see. I do it all the time when nobody's around. Even had a party last ye… but that's another story. I've seen you in the locker room so I know you're not shy."

"I don't see a towel either," Steve said as he looked back over his shoulder. "Grab a couple from the stack by the door to the pool."

Billy was beginning to think this was all going too smoothly, as if Steve had forgotten everything he had put him through. It felt like he was waiting for the punchline to make sense of a joke he didn't understand.

Steve dropped the cans on the grass beside a lounge and fell into it. He tilted the open one back and chugged what was left, tossing the empty over his shoulder as he reached for another.

"Have a seat. Have a beer."

"Thought I'd go for a swim first."

Steve belched loudly as he waved his beer toward the pool.

"That's why I asked you over."

Since he figured it would be nice not to have to drive home in wet shorts, he started to unbutton the waistband and paused.

"I don't have anything else on."

"I promise not to look."

He let the cutoffs drop to the ground, kicking them to one side, then ran to the pool and dove in. It was warmer than he expected but it still felt good. He surfaced and backstroked to the other end, before flipping and swimming back most of the way underwater. He rested his arms on the edge while letting his body float out behind him.

"Nice."

"Yeah, I've been spending a lot of time out here this year."

"You not working?"

"My dad has me going into his office a couple of times a week, if you want to call that work. You?"

"Odd jobs, gardening, mowing lawns. That type of shit. I've got regular customers." He almost sounded proud of that.

Billy heaved himself out of the pool, shaking the water off his hair as he walked back to Steve. He wrapped a towel around his waist, then grabbed a beer and settled into the lounge beside him. He lifted the tab and took a swig.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Forget about Chem, why am I here? Don't get me wrong, it's great, but doesn't it seem odd to you? We're not friends."

Steve drained his beer and tossed the can back towards the other one.

"Depends."

"Is that it? You want to be friends?" Billy took a few seconds to process that. "Why would you want that? I've been your worst nightmare since I got here."

"You're nowhere near my worst nightmare. Besides you've changed, not as much of a shithead."

"Thanks."

"C'mon, you know what I mean." Steve took another beer, then balanced the unopened can on the lounge between his legs. "Look, I don't know why you dislike me but you've backed off and I hope it stays that way. Can we at least try for that?"

"Disliked."

"What?"

"Disliked. And besides I never really disliked you. You were just something in my way. Different place, different time, who knows."

Suddenly Billy sat upright. This was getting uncomfortably serious. He dropped the towel as he stood.

"I'm going in again. You coming?"

He didn't wait for an answer instead charged ahead to the diving board and launched himself into a cannonball. When he surfaced he saw a naked Steve, grinning widely, barrelling down the board right for him.

"Shit!"

He dove directly in front of him, so close that he could feel his hair brush against his leg as went by. His head poked out of the water a few feet away.

"You should have seen your face."

"You fuckin' surprised me."

"Still, I would have paid to have Byers here to catch it." He turned on his back and floated over to where Billy was treading water.

"No trunks?"

"Can't fool you," he said as he drifted by. "Going to call you eagle-eye."

"And I'm going to call you smart ass."

"Not pretty boy?"

"You remember that."

Steve hoisted himself onto the pool edge and sat with his feet dangling lazily in the water.

"Being called pretty by another guy while standing bare-assed in the shower is hard to forget."

Billy swam over and climbed out to sit beside him.

"Just trying to bug you."

Steve nudged his knee. "And here I thought you meant it."

"You wish."

Then they were both silent, as if it had all been leading up to something, but now they had reached a barrier. Billy gripped the lip of the pool coping and looked down into the water while Steve shifted restlessly beside him. This was the most time he had spent with Steve outside of school and while it all seemed normal, just friends shooting the shit, it really wasn't. It suddenly seemed important to break through that barrier and, just as suddenly, he knew what it would take.

"I'm sorry."

"For calling me pretty boy?"

"No, not that. For all the other crap. The 'King Steve', giving you … giving everyone a hard time, the fight, the God damn plate."

"Wondered when you would get to that."

"What? We … Right. That's what you meant by 'depends' when we were talking about being friends. It depends on me."

"Uh-huh," Steve replied as he stood and walked toward the lounges. "Want another beer?"

He stretched out, not bothering with a towel, and held out a can as he took the lounge next to him. Billy sat quietly, toying with the unopened beer, waiting.

"You don't apologise, do you."

"No."

"Even when you know you're wrong?"

"No."

"So why today?"

Billy popped the tab and took a drink.

"Since we've been sort of getting along I didn't think it mattered to you. I mean you even invited me here today." He paused and turned his head to Steve who was watching him intently. "It does matter though."

"Yes. But why do you care?"

Billy sat up and swung his legs over the side of the lounge.

"My old man says I'm a worthless piece of shit. Maybe by apologising and meaning it I get to believe I'm not. It doesn't make everything all right. I can never do that because I can't change what's happened, but maybe I'm heading in the right direction. Don't know if that's enough for us to try to become friends; if that's what you want then it's up to you."

Worrying that he had said too much and knowing only that he felt he had to, he stood up.

"I need to take a leak."

"Back through the sunroom and down the hall."

Steve stared at Billy's ass until he disappeared though the sliding doors.

This evening had taken an unexpected turn. Billy had always intrigued him. First because he couldn't figure out why he seemed determined to make his life miserable and then when he stopped trying to make it miserable. Unless Billy ever came right out and told him he doubted that he would discover the reason for the first, but he now had some idea about the second. As for becoming friends he suspected that if that happened it might hold surprises neither of them were ready for.

There was more to it than that of course. In the last few months when he finally realised he didn't always have to be on the lookout for Billy's next move he had found himself increasingly attracted to him. He had fooled around with one or two guys, but it had been just a bit of fun. This felt different and the fact that it was Billy, of all people, and that he was someone who wouldn't be interested made it even more confusing. He really didn't know how any of that was going to play out if they became friends.

"I'm hungry. You hungry? Want to order pizza?"

Steve smiled as he looked over _Looks like we're moving on for now._

"Got a part bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken in the fridge and some of Mrs. Byers' potato salad. Will that do?"

"Finger lickin'"

"Good," Steve finished, laughing as he pulled on his trunks. "Be right back."

By the time Billy got into his cutoffs and dried his hair Steve was coming out the door clutching the bucket of chicken, a bowl with two forks stuck in it in his other hand, napkins tucked under his chin.

"Bring the beer," he said as he set everything on the glass-topped table. "You mind eating out of the same bowl? I can get plates if you want."

"Doesn't matter."

"My mother would kill me if she saw this," Steve said, lifting a forkful of potato salad.

"What?"

"No plates. Sharing a bowl."

"Good thing she's not here then," Billy mumbled around a bite of chicken as he tore off another large hunk and all but stuffed it into his mouth.

"Haven't eaten since lunch," he explained as he reached over to grab the other fork.

By the time they finished the potato salad was gone and the bucket held only bones.

Billy sat back with a contented sigh.

"You want dessert?" Steve asked as he started to clear the table. "Apple pie, thanks to Mrs. Byers again."

"No room. Maybe later? Want a hand with that?"

"Nope. I'm going to make coffee. Unless you want another beer?"

"Coffee. Just milk."

As Steve headed back to the kitchen Billy moved over to the lounge and was stretching out as the pool lights came on; he stared at the hypnotic shimmer.

When Steve got back with the coffee Billy was fast asleep, one arm across his chest and the other hanging off the side of the lounge. He thought about waking him, but when he saw how relaxed he was, so unlike the Billy he was used to, he decided to let him sleep. He stood examining his face for a few seconds before setting the coffee on the ground beside him and settling into his own lounge.

He had just drained the last of his mug when Billy suddenly sat up, looking around in confusion.

"You fell asleep," Steve explained the obvious. "Food, beer, that'll do it."

Billy stretched and yawned.

"Plus not sleeping at night with all this heat."

"Air not working?"

He yawned again. "Neil fucked up, so no."

Steve played with the mug sitting in his lap, stumbling over the words in his head.

"You want to stay here tonight?" he asked without looking up. "You already know we've got AC and there's a spare room." He looked over and shrugged. "I mean tomorrow's Sunday and… uh, you don't have to but if you want to stay it's OK." _Jesus Christ, could I sound any more lame?_ When Billy hesitated he thought he had his answer.

"You got eggs?"

"Eggs? Yeah, why? You hungry again?"

Billy's smile made Steve realise how seldom he had seen it.

"No, I'm going to make you an omelette for breakfast tomorrow."

**Author's Note:**

> I told you it was the beginning. Did anything happen that night? Maybe, maybe not, but there were many nights to follow.
> 
> Yes, I couldn't pass up the "finger lickin' good" line


End file.
